Priyanka Gandhi's entry into active politics seen as direct challenge to CM Yogi in his bastion

According to official release signed by Ashok Gehlot, Priyanka Gandhi will be taking charge in the first week of February 2019.

There has also been speculation that Priyanka may contest the coming Lok Sabha election from either Amethi, which is her elder brother Rahul Gandhi's Lok Sabha seat, or her mother's constituency.

AGRA: Congress leaders and cadres are literally electrified with the entry of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in UP's electoral arena and they feel that she, along with Jyotiraditya Scindia, can change the political equations in the state.

Though Priyanka had been taking care of her mother, Sonia Gandhi's constituency Rae Bareli for long, her appointment as party general secretary in charge of UP east will see her playing a major role in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. With her being at the helm of party's affairs and campaign in eastern UP, it is being widely anticipated that she will take on chief minister Yogi Adityanath head on in his bastion.

"This is a brilliant decision by the party high command and will rejuvenate the Congress across the state," said party's Agra vice-president Pradeep Kansal. He said that she is a "true reflection" of her grandmother Indira Gandhi and all party workers would do their best to revive the party under her guidance.

She will be a challenge for Narendra Modi, he said, adding that workers had been demanding this for long. He told that a meeting of vice-presidents of western UP is scheduled in Delhi on Friday, which is likely to be headed by Jyotiraditya Scindia, who is given charge of western UP, to plan a strategy for the upcoming LS polls.

AICC secretary Vivek Bansal said that Priyanka is the best choice to push the NDA out of power. He said her entry was long awaited and this is the right time for her to take charge.

Bansal said both Priyanka and Scindia have the power to pull the masses and they together will change the political arithmetic in the state. Scindia has a stronghold in Madhya Pradesh and his dynamic personality and strong leadership will help boost party's image.

According to official release signed by Ashok Gehlot, Priyanka Gandhi will be taking charge in the first week of February 2019. Political observers say that the move to appoint both Priyanka and Scindia may prove good for the Congress as a massive state like Uttar Pradesh, which sends 80 lawmakers to the Lok Sabha and is the key to power at the Centre, cannot be managed well with just one person at the helm.

Political analyst and professor in AMU's Political Science department Asmer Beg said that appointing Priyanka and Scindia in UP is the step to inject enthusiasm in the cadre as the party has lost its presence in the state. As both leaders have clean images and dynamic personalities, the Congress will try to attract the youth.

There has also been speculation that Priyanka may contest the coming Lok Sabha election from either Amethi, which is her elder brother Rahul Gandhi's Lok Sabha seat, or her mother's constituency. Even when she had stayed away from any party position, she has nursed the two constituencies with Sonia and Rahul.